TWI sets two innovation centres up with University of Huddersfield
Two new Innovation Centres – the Precision Engineering Innovation Centre and the Applied Artificial Intelligence Innovation Centre – have been formed by first-time partners TWI and the University of Huddersfield.
The Precision Engineering Innovation Centre will focus on machine tool technologies and precision manufacturing at different scales, while the Applied Artificial Intelligence Innovation Centre will support the development of new technologies in relation to autonomous systems, planning and decision making, machine learning, visualisation and the application of AI.
Each Centre’s research plan will be supported by the securing of grant funding from public sources such as Horizon Europe and UK Research & Innovation. This will enable them to generate a portfolio of collaborative projects aligned with their research areas, providing long-term sustainability as well as access to new skills.
A contract signing ceremony took place at the university’s campus in Queensgate, with TWI representatives and a University of Huddersfield team led by Professor Tim Thornton, deputy vice-chancellor, and Prof Simon Parkinson, director, Centre for Cybersecurity at the university.
Professor Parik Goswami, director of research, innovation and knowledge exchange at the University of Huddersfield, said: “It is truly inspiring to witness how these two centres merge the expertise from the university and TWI to create practical solutions and make a significant impact. These centres will serve as hubs where fundamental and applied research converge, offering stakeholders a competitive advantage in precision engineering and applied AI. This blend of unique expertise and perspectives will foster innovation and facilitate knowledge transfer.”
For Granta Park-based TWI, the partnership feeds into a demonstrable track record of engineering innovation going back more than 75 years, backed by world-leading expertise and service delivery in fields including welding and joining, manufacturing, advanced coatings and materials, asset integrity management and advanced non-destructive testing (NDT). It also fosters a collaborative R&D hub developed by supporting consortia of like-minded SMEs, larger companies and TWI industrial members, universities and others to identify and apply for suitable grant funding to enable new technology projects.
The University of Huddersfield, which has around 20,000 students, has a long-standing reputation for producing high-quality, international research output with excellent impact, recognising the importance of looking beyond academia to address global challenges and make a real difference.
Chris Milligan, TWI’s section manager, research and innovation operations, said: “We are excited for the joint R&D opportunities that lie ahead in the fields of precision engineering and applied AI, through the formation of these new Innovation Centres with the University of Huddersfield.
“As well as delivering solutions with positive impact for industry and society, their activities will also contribute to the achievement of TWI’s five-year technology roadmap which supports its industrial membership base through the provision of new capabilities and insights.”
